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E-cargo bikes are emerging on London’s streets as the up-and-coming go-to means of urban freight transport, Bloomberg reports. The Urban Arrow Tender 2500 can carry up to 300 kilograms (661 pounds), which is notable since this amount matches the average payload of 39% of delivery vans in London that operate at three-quarters empty.
The potential: At present, 90% of goods in London are moved by road. Transport for London (TfL) estimates that by 2030, cargo cycles could replace up to 17% of van kilometers in central London and 4% across the entire city.
And they’re not just for delivery services: Family cargo bikes have emerged as a cost-effective alternative to a second car, “people are seeing more of their cities go further, faster, helping them leave the car behind … kids aren’t complaining on the way to school any more. With measures like cycle lanes and school streets, this is now a possibility,” Fully Charged’s Dan Parsons tells Bloomberg. Hospitals are now delivering blood samples by bike, and law firms are using bikes for their contracts, the newswire adds.
